Urban food systems in Asia: COVID-19, food security and resilience. An analysis and characterization of 8 urban food systems in selected cities in Asia

Background and objectives: The COVID-19 crisis has significantly disrupted food systems, particularly, those that support urban populations. However, insufficient evidence existed on the impact on availability, access, and use of foods for vulnerable urban populations. The gaps in evidence of urban food system weaknesses during the COVID-19 crisis and the likely consequences on food security and nutrition in poor urban population indicated a need to better understand urban food system dynamics and identify areas of interventions for the World Food Programme and other partners. Methods: This research study conducted in early 2021, assessed the level of resilience of urban food systems in the face of the COVID-19 crisis in eight selected cities in Asia. A range of methods and data sources were used to characterize urban food systems and explored external drivers, food supply chains, food environments, individual factors, consumer behaviour and diet outcomes. In addition to analysis of secondary data and geospatial data, primary data were collected from private sector, local government actors, UN agencies, NGOs and community-based organizations using both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. collection methods. Results: COVID-19 has increased levels of vulnerability and food insecurity in cities through three main mechanisms, which varied geographically between cities and temporally throughout the pandemic. These include 1) disruptions to food supply chains; 2) Increased food prices; and 3) Loss of income. The combination of increased food prices and loss of income affected food affordability for the urban poor. Food prices increased during the pandemic in all eight cities, with considerable variations between cities and between food groups. The analysis suggests that food systems in the eight cities did not show high levels of resilience to respond effectively to the pandemic. Conclusions: There is a need for governments and development actors to consider innovative response to COVID-19 and to strengthen the resilience of urban food systems against inevitable future shocks. Positive opportunities for transformation of urban food systems exist. Innovative transformations represent an area that could be strengthened on the supply side to increase the resilience of the economy and the livelihoods of those working in the food system by protecting income and the access of vulnerable individuals to the food system.